CREATING AN EFFECTIVE C.V  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
  CV Structure and Format
 
Keeping your CV concise and to the point is a difficult task. Selecting a comprehensive structure and format will help you to achieve this.

Name/Contact Details - display a permanent address, home phone, email and mobile.

Personal Details - include your Date of Birth, Nationality and Marital status. (Can be placed at the beginning or end of the document.)

Personal Profile - highly recommended to grab the reader’s attention, it is a key selling point. Ideally this should be punchy, precise

Academic Qualifications - recommend you list higher education only if already working. Include details on your final year project, i.e. dissertation, thesis. List any other major projects, field studies, training courses etc. (Can be placed after Work Experience.)

Work Experience – List in reverse chronological order. Include dates, job title/position and company name. As well as writing a brief overview of your job, try and incorporate your responsibilities and achievements.

Computing Skills - list all geoscience and general software applications used, hardware, operating systems, databases, etc. For each one you might want to list your level of proficiency.

Additional Skills – Industry Knowledge, Technical, Commercial, Managerial, Analytical, Languages.

Personal Interests - keep this limited but consider what it says about you… eg. are you a team player or an individual?

Referees - Unless requested do not attach references. Do attach a list of potential referees and their contact details.

Do not print your C.V on both sides of paper and ensure to get somebody else to read through your C.V to check for errors i.e Make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors.


 

CV Layout/Template

  
     
  Contact Details

Name:
Address:
Phone No.:
Date of Birth: (optional)
Full Driving Licence:
Marital Status: (Optional)

Career Summary/Personal Profile
A one or two paragraph/ section detailing the highlights of your career to date.

Work Experience
Dates, Name of employer and position starting with the most recent.

Experience Details
A short description of duties and responsibilities for each position.

Education and Awards
Name and address of schools/third level colleges attended, dates and examinations or qualifications received.

Hobbies and Interests
A short description of any activities, achievements, and hobbies.

References
This section is optional. You may list two or three referees relevant to your career. You may also state “References available on request”


 
 

Interview Skills /Tips

  
     
  Preparing for the Interview  
 
  • Research the company you are going for interview with.
  • Prepare questions to ask at the interview to show interest and technical knowledge.
  • Be prepared for the predictable questions asked at interviews
  • Make sure you know the contents of you CV
  
     
  Presentation  
 
  • First impressions last look neat and professional.
  
     
  Personality  
 
  • A firm handshake is very important.
  • Eye contact should be maintained at all times.
  • Try not to speak for more than 2 or 3 minutes without further prompting.
  • Avoid jargon.
  • Don't fidget.
  • Try to create a rapport with the interviewer, as they will be assessing how you will fit in as well as your skills.
  • Be positive and enthusiastic do not mention reservations.
  
     
  Salary  
 
  • Do not bring up the subject of salary.
  • If the interviewer brings up the subject, answer but do not dwell on the subject. It is your aim to give the impression that you are more interested in the opportunity and the challenge of the new position.
  
     
  20 Questions Likely to be Asked  
 
  1. Do you prefer to work alone or in a group?
  2. Have you ever taken on the responsibilities of managing or supervising?
  3. Is there anything in your job that you avoid doing?
  4. Are you willing to travel or stay away from home?
  5. In what areas do you feel you have achieved the greatest success?
  6. What areas did you find most difficult?
  7. Why do you want to leave your present employment?
  8. What are your salary expectations?
  9. What are your best/worst qualities?
  10. What is your greatest achievement to date?
  11. How do you feel about overtime and working weekends?
  12. Are you a good communicator?
  13. How do you prioritise?
  14. How do you schedule your time?
  15. How often do you attend formal meetings and what role do you play?
  16. Do you delegate work? Has this been an advantage or a disadvantage?
  17. Describe the biggest problem you have faced within the last six months.
  18. What changes have caused you the most difficulty?
  19. Give some instances of when you have anticipated problems.
  20. Do you feel pressure and how do you deal with it?